Laundry clip



May 6, 1958 H. ROSENTHAL LAUNDRY CLIP Filed Feb. 1, 1954 United States Patent This. invention relates generally to tag fasteners and more particularly to a clip adapted to be detachably secured to a bag containing clothing to be laundered for supporting the, same from an identifying. key tag.

The present day laundry plantamay use a system wherein particular items to be laundered. are grouped and placed in net bags to facilitate handling and transporting the items as they pass through various laundering stages. With this. system all the laundry from a particular customer whichrequires the samewashing treatment may be placed in. a given bag Where it remains through the washing process. In order to simplify the handling of the bags it hasbeen found expedient to.transport them through the plant supported in an invertedposition on-a monorail. Once the bags are loaded they may be rapidly shoved from place to place and quickly emptied by merely opening the bag. Sorting of the bags afterwashing, in order to group those containing laundered. material of a single customer, is expedited by attaching to the bag a perforated key tag containing a notch code. The notch code of this tag will fit only. one sorting rail so proper grouping of the bags is insured. This same tag may also support the bags on the monorail.

Secure attachment of thecoded tagtoa bag is necessary since a bag. loaded with wet material is heavy. Furthermore, additional strain. may be put, on any attaching device as the bags are shoved along the monorail. However, it is desirable to have the tag' detachable as the useful life of a bag is comparatively short while the tag may be used for years. Thus, there is need for a fastening device which will fulfill these requirements.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and improved tag fastener for attaching an identification tag to an object.

A further object is to provide an easily detached metal clip for securing an identification tag to a laundering bag.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a detachable tag fastener for attaching an identification tag to a laundering net bag, which is of sturdy construction to Withstand severe tension imposed by a heavy load contained Within the bag.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a fastener for attaching an identification tag to an object which tag includes a triangular shaped wire member with a small loop at the apex for connection to a tag and a smooth tube at the base portion for connection to object for supporting the same.

Another feature is the provision of a detachable fastener formed by a wire member having a central loop with arms extending therefrom at an angle with respect to each other, with the arms having inwardly extending ends adapted to be enclosed in a straight tubular sleeve, the wire having resilience such that the ends may be removed from the sleeve by spreading the arms.

Still another feature of the invention is the provision a loop on the of a detachable fastener including a single wire member,

with straight arm portions crossing each other and end 2,833,010 Patented May 6, 1958 sections-extending inwardly therefrom, and a straight tubular member enclosing the end sections, with one; of

the arm portions having a V-shaped deformation at the cross point to provide clearance for the other arm and thereby render the arm portions resistant to spreading.

Further objects, features and the attending advantages of the invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following description when taken in connection with I the accompanying drawing in which: 1

Fig. 1 is a-perspective view illustrating the use of" the clip-in'accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front viewof the clip;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the clip showing the coded tag attached thereto; andi Fig. 4 is a View of the clip in opened position.

In practicing the invention there is providedv a tag fastener or clip for attaching an identification tag to a laundering net bag or the like which tag may be. used to support the bag. The fastener includes a Wire member having a central looped portion, straight arm portions extending from the looped portion and crossing each other, andend'sections extending inwardly from the arm portions. A straight tubular member is provided about the end sections for engaging and supporting a strap on a laundering bag. The wire is sufliciently resilient to permit spreading of the end sections for placing the tubular member thereon and removing the same. At the point of'crossing, one arm portion contains a V-shaped deformation to provide clearance for a straight portion of the other arm, with the arm; portions. functionally engaging eachother'to resist spreading thereof. However, without an'undueamount of; force, the arm portions may be spread to disengage: an end section from the tubular member allowing removal of the bag strap- The looped portion of the Wiremember is usedjto engage a supporting member such as an identification tag for the launderingbag.

In Fig. 1 there is shown. the tag clip 10- supporting the laundry bagll by means of the straplz which is attached to thenet bag opposite the opening thereof. A fastening pin 13 is shown closing the open end thus holding items to be laundered within the bag 11. A coded tag 14 is shown secured to a looped portion of the clip 10. Tag 14 may be supported only on support rod 15 which has projections 16 to fit the coded slots of tag 14. All the nets having items for a particular customer will have tags with corresponding coding so that they may only be placed on a particular rod. Other support rods 17 and 18 are shown and these will have projections of dilferent configuration so that only tags of a given type may be supported thereon. In other words, a sorting system has been provided which can be used by a rather inattentive operator since a bag may only be supported on a rod with the proper code configuration to conform to the slots of the tag attached to a given bag.

The tag fastener or clip 10 is shown in more detail in Fig. 2. There it may be seen that the coded tag 14 is attached to the clip by a looped portion 20 of the clip 10. From the loop 20 straight portions 21 and 22 extend at an acute angle. The ends of the straight portion may then be formed or bent inwardly so that a tubular sleeve or casing 23 may enclose them. The clip is substantially in the shape of an isosceles triangle with a looped portion at the apex.

The device is best formed of still, heavy Wire which has sufficient resilience that straight portions 21 and 22 may be spread by hand to allow removal of casing 23. Thus, should it be necessary to discard a bag and substitute a new one therefor, the clip may be removed and used on a new bag. Sleeve 23 forms a smooth surface which may engage a strap such as 12 and support the bag weight Whfilliltdi loaded with wet items during thedaun-a dering process. However, :with 1 theconstruction of ,clip 10 it may be seen that the weight of the bag will be distributed alongthe length of sleeve'23 which willtransmit the force to; arms 21 and, 22 uniformly without tending to spread or open them. There arebutfew bends in the entire clip and these are not such as wouldtend to deform under any weight normally encountered in the laundering process, V Q j Fig. 3 is aside viewof clipltlqandthere the tag 14 with its notch code consisting of two cutouts 19 further enlarging the slot 24 maybe seen.-; There is an aperture 25 .which is used to support the clip 10 ;upon the tag 14. In this figure a bent portion of arm 21 may be clearly seen. The-arm22 has no such deformed portion and engages' the notch 26 in arm 21 thereby having the effect of locking arms 21 and 22 together to resist spreading thereof. This engagement of thearms is not such'as to entirely prevent spreading ofthese arms but it serves to render the entire structure more rigid and less subject to inadvertent opening or bending under heavy weight. In Fig. 4 the-clip is shown after-spreading of the arms and removal of casing 23. Since the arms are spaced from one anotherat spacing 30 when in opened position, removal of the clip from strap 12 is facilitated asthe stra pwill engage but a single end portion of an arm when the clip is open. Such a spacing also provides increased ,friction on ,sleeve 23 when the device is in closed position to insure secure locking of the clip.

Thusthe invention has provided a simple and inexpensive laundry clip or tag fastener. It has a shape such that it may support great weight without deforming or opening but yet may be detached from its associated net bag to allow use on another bag should the necessity arise. Furthermore, the unit comprises simply formed been described, it is apparent that modifications may be made and it is intended to cover all-such modifications in the appended claim. 1

I claim:

A detachable clip for, supportinga laundry bag by in terconnection with a strap on the bag, and an apertured supporting identification tag attached to the clip, said clip including a wire member having first and second straight arm portions having ends and a curved portion joining said ends of said arm portions, said arm portions crossing each other and extending from said curved portion at an acute angle with respect to each other, said wire member including substantially identical inwardly extending portions on said arm portions atthe terminal ends thereof, said inwardly extending portions being spaced axially by a given amount in an open position of said clip and substantially axially aligned .in a closed position of said clip, and a tubular member adapted to receive said inwardly extending portions therein and to support the strap of a laundry bag thereupon, said first arm portion having a section therein bent in a direction away from the plane of said first and second arm portions and forming a notch to receive therein said second arm. portion inthe closed position ofsaid clip, said arm portions being resilient to permit spreading thereof to the open position for separating said end portions for insertion and removal of said tubular member, said clip in the open position thereof being adapted to be connected to the identification tag by spreading said wire member through an aperture in thetag' 'to the extent that said curved portion of said wire member is positioned in the aperture, saidsecond arm portion frictionally engaging the edges of said notch and said inwardly extending portions frictionally engaging said tubular member to restrain spreading of said arm portions in the closed 1 position of said clip.

2 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATE NTS 1 655,154 Kleinert July 31, 1900 1,064,952 Allen June 17, 1913 1,804,259, Joyce 'May 5, 1931' 2,014,845 Holland Sept. 17, 1935 2,376,097 Stamm -2 May 15, 1945 2,484,449 Fetterman Oct- 11, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 1 194,232 Great Britain Mar. 8, 192 

